Shaaban : De Mistura Behaves as Though Riyadh are the Official Syrian Opposition

Presidential Political and Media Advisor Bouthaina Shaaban said on Wednesday that UN Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura has to “put a list on the terrorist organizations and another one on the opposition groups which are supposed to negotiate the Syrian government.”

“De Mistura’s mission is to put the two lists, but, instead of doing so, he is busy with the humanitarian aid which has no relation to his mission,” Shaaban told AFP, affirming that his mission is to facilitate issues.

She added that De Mistura’s announcement on Tuesday that the Syrian government has agreed to send the aid to the besieged areas aims at pointing that it is the first time Syria sends humanitarian aids to the besieged areas.

“The Syrian government always cooperates with the UN in many regions and doesn’t hesitate to guarantee the delivering of the aids to all Syrians,” Shaaban affirmed.

She said that unfortunately, De Mistura behaves as those who have come from Riyadh representing the whole opposition, and this is wrong, adding that he negotiates with specific persons selected by Riyadh and get the orders from the Saudi capital not from the Syrian people.

An official source at the Foreign and Expatriates Ministry said Tuesday that the Syrian government does not allow neither de Mistura nor anybody else to talk about testing Syria’s seriousness in any matter.

The Syrian government does not allow neither UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura nor anybody else to talk about testing Syria’s seriousness in any matter, an official source at the Foreign and Expatriates Ministry said Tuesday night.

“Rather, the Syrian government is now in need to test the credibility of the UN Special Envoy whose statements, since the beginning of his mission to the mass media outlets, completely contradict to what happen in joint meetings with the Syrian government,” added the source.

The Syrian Arab Republic, in this regard, reaffirms the government’s commitment to deliver humanitarian aid to the people living in areas besieged by terrorists, and this does not have any relation to Geneva, Munich or Vienna meetings, or any other party.

It added that delivery of the humanitarian aid, in the past or the future, comes within the framework of the Syrian National Response plan, pointing out .. “We don’t wait for anyone to remind us of our duties towards our people,”

The source affirmed that what “De Mistura has declared about testing Syria’s seriousness has nothing to do with accuracy or objectivity, it only comes in the context of satisfying other parties”.

Earlier Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem met with de Mistura in Damascus where Minister al-Moallem highlighted Syrian government’s efforts in protecting its citizens and delivering humanitarian aid to them, particularly to those in the areas controlled by terrorist groups, affirming that these efforts will continue as they stem from the government’s responsibility towards its people and are separable from the Geneva meetings.